Apparatus for turning billets or the like



Jan. 21, 1964 L. A, DAILEY 3,118,547

APPARATUS FoR TURNING BILLETS oR THE LIKE Filed Feb. les, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 /NI/E/VTOH LAWRENCE DA1/LEY Af/orney Jan. 2l, 1964 L. A. DAILEY 3,118,547

APPARATUS FOR TURNING BILLETS OR THE LIKE Filed Feb. 16, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 /IVVE/VTOR LAWRENCE A. A/LEY Attorney United States Patent O 3,118,547 APPARATUS FR TURNING BILLETS R THE LIKE Lawrence A. Dailey, Lincoln Borough, Pa., assigner to United States Steel Corporation, a corporation of New .Ierse y Filed Feb. 16, 1962, Ser. No. 173,734

3 Claims. (Cl. 214-1) This invention relates to materials handling equipment, and more particularly to devices for turning billets.

For certain operations performed on billets the billet must be oriented in a given position. For example, it may be required to introduce rectangular shaped billets into a heating furnace so that `the billets all rest on their short edges. However, the billets may emerge from the previous operation in random orientation or all improperly oriented or they may become improperly oriented in handling. lIn any case the improperly oriented billets must be turned about their longitudinal axis before they are introduced into the furnace. According to prior art methods these billets are either turned by hand or by quite complicated devices which have not proved entirely satisfactory.

It is therefore a principal object of this invention to provide a device which will turn billets about their longitudinal axis.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a device which will partially raise and turn a billet about its longitudinal axis and lower the billet in its turned position. t

Other objects and 4advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view partially in section of a billet turning device;

FIGURE 2 is a front elevational view partially in section of the billet turning device in its lowered position;

FIGURE 3 is the device of FIGURE 2 showing the device having raised and turned a billet; and

FIGURE 4 is the device or" FIGURE 2 showing the billet lowered to the rolls after having been turned with the device returning to its lowered position.

Referring now to the drawings, the billet turning device is shown in conjunction with a conveyor C having a plurality of spaced rollers R on which -is supported a billet B which is to be turned.

The bil-let turning device includes a support frame designated generally as which straddles the conveyor C. The frame 10 includes a pair of vertical columns 11 and 12 and a horizontal beam 13 extending between the tops of the columns 11 and 12 and connected thereto. A clevis 14 including a clevis pin 1S is mounted to the underside of the horizontal beam 13 and located about centrally thereof over the conveyor C.

A lifting arm has one end pivotally connected to the clevis pin 15, thus allowing the lifting arm 26 to rotate in a vertical plane. A support arm 22 is pivotally connected to the lifting arm 20 by a pin 23 intermediate the ends of the lifting arm 20. A support bar 24 is pivotally connected to one end of the support yarm 22 by `a pin 25 and a chain section 26 is connected to the other end of the support arm 22. Depending from the lower end of the support bar 24 is fa chain section 27 which is connected to one end of a spreader bar 2S. The other end of the spreader bar `28 is connected to the chain section 26. The chain section 26 passes over a `sheave 29 mounted on column 11. rfhe support bar 24, the chain sections 26 and 27 and the spreader bar 28 together dene a flexible loop which is adapted to engage and support the billet B. For convenience, the support bar 24 and 3,113,547 Patented Jan. 2l, 1964 chain section 27 are hereinafter referred to as the right leg of the loop and the chain section 26 is referred to as the left leg of the loop. The purpose of the spreader bar 28 is to maintain the legs of the loop spaced apart so that a billet can freely pass therebetween along the conveyor C.

The pivotal arrangement of the support arm '22 and the arrangement of the flexible loop `are such that the support arm 22 is tilted with -respect to the horizontal when the lifting arm 2l) is in its lower position as seen in FIGURE 2. In this lower position, the spreader bar 23 is generally horizontal and disposed below the billet B between two adjacent rollers R.

An air cylinder 30 is pivotally connected to a bracket 31 by a pin 32. The air cylinder 30 includes a piston rod 33 which -is pivotally :connected to the lower end of lifting arm 20 by a pin 34. When the air cylinder is actuated driving the piston rod 33 upwardly the lifting -arm is pivoted to the upper position shown in FIGURE 3, and when the piston rod is driven downwardly the lifting arm 20 is pivoted to the lower position shown in FIGURE 2.

Operation In order to turn a billet about its longitudinal axis the billet B is moved along the rollers R with the lifting arm 20 in its lower position until one end of .the billet is positioned above the spreader bar 28. The air cylinder 30 is then actuated to pivot the lifting arm 2G to its upper position (FIGURE 3). As the lifting arm 20 starts yits upward movement the ilexible loop will be lifted. Upon upward movement of the flexible loop, the spreader bar 28 will engage the lower surface of the billet B and Start to raise the end of the-billet. The other end of the lbillet will remain on the conveyor C. When the flexible loop is being raised while it is supporting the end of a biilet the pin 25 will contact stop surface 35 on the lifting arm 20. This will prevent further rotative movement of the support arm 24 about pin 23 in a clockwise direction as seen in FIGURES 2, 3 and 4 which in turn will cause the left leg of the loop to move upwardly faster than the right leg. Slipping of the billet within the loop i-s prevented by chain section 27 engaging the edge of the billet so the resulting action of the movement of the loop is raising `and twisting of the billet about its longitudinal axis to the position shown in FIGURE 3. Hence, when the device reaches the upper position the billet will have been turned 90 from its original engaged position.

After the device has reached this upper position the pistou rod 33 is lowered so as to cause the lifting arm 29 to pivot downwardly. During downward movement the support arm 22 is free to rotate clockwise about the pivot pin 23 as seen in FIGURES 2, 3 and 4. Because of the weight of the billet and the pivotal connection of the support arm 22 to the lifting arm 20 the resulting forces are such that the support arm 22 will be lowered in the same relative position to the horizontal that it occupies at the upper position. The support arm 22 retains this position by rotating clockwise about pin 23 as the arm 29 is lowered. Hence, the left and right legs of the loop will be lowered at substantially the same rate and maintain the billet in its turned position. When the supported end of the billet cornes to Irest on the rollers R its weight is removed from the flexible loop, this position being shown in FIGURE 4. When the weight of the billet is removed from the exible loop .the support arm 22 will rotate counter-clockwise about pin 23 until it reaches the position shown in FIGURE 2 at which point it is ready to lift and turn another billet.

While one embodiment of my invention has been shown and described it will be apparent that other adaptations and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the following claims.

I claim: i

l. A' billet turning device comprising a iiexible member, the opposite ends of saidiiexible member being :operably connected at spaced locations to a rst pivoted member on opposite sides of the pivot thereof and thereby defining a loop adapted to eri'gage and support a billet, said loop having a pair of generally vertical legs, said first pivoted member being mounted for movement in a verticalplane, and doive/means including a secondpivoted member wherein said first pivoted member is pivotally connected to said second pivoted member, said device being characterized by means co-actable 'between the rst and second pivoted members to prevent relative rotation of the members in one direction when the loop is being raised and permit relative' rotation therebetween inthe other direction when the loop is being lowered, to raise one of said legs faster than the other leg and thereafter lower both of said legs at substantially the same speed ber in the form of a loop adapted -to engage and support a billet, said loop having a pair of `spaced generally vertica l legs, a iirst lever arm pivotally mounted on a horizontal axis for movement in a vertical plane between an upper and a lower position, a second lever arm pivotally mounted on said first lever arm for movement about a horizontal axis, said flexible member having its opposite ends connected to said second lever arm on opposite sides of its pivoted mounting, means to move said first lever arm between the upper and lower positions, said lever arms and said loop being positioned and arranged such 10 that upon movement of the rst lever arm to its upper position one leg of the loop will move upwardly lfaster than the other leg and upon movement to the lower position each of the legs will move downwardly at the same speed when the loop is supporting a billet.

l5 3. The device of claim 2 wherein said means to move the rst lever arm includes an air actuated cylinder.

Keller June 20, 1916 Harry lan. 4, 1944 

1. A BILLET TURNING DEVICE COMPRISING A FLEXIBLE MEMBER, THE OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID FLEXIBLE MEMBER BEING OPERABLY CONNECTED AT SPACED LOCATIONS TO A FIRST PIVOTED MEMBER ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE PIVOT THEREOF AND THEREBY DEFINING A LOOP ADAPTED TO ENGAGE AND SUPPORT A BILLET, SAID LOOP HAVING A PAIR OF GENERALLY VERTICAL LEGS, SAID FIRST PIVOTED MEMBER BEING MOUNTED FOR MOVEMENT IN A VERTICAL PLANE, AND DRIVE MEANS INCLUDING A SECOND PIVOTED MEMBER WHEREIN SAID FIRST PIVOTED MEMBER IS PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO SAID SECOND PIVOTED MEMBER, SAID DEVICE BEING CHARACTERIZED BY MEANS CO-ACTABLE BETWEEN THE FIRST AND SECOND PIVOTED MEMBERS TO PREVENT RELATIVE ROTATION OF THE MEMBERS IN ONE DIRECTION WHEN THE LOOP IS BEING RAISED AND PERMIT RELATIVE ROTATION THEREBETWEEN IN THE OTHER DIRECTION WHEN THE LOOP IS BEING LOWERED, TO RAISE ONE OF SAID LEGS FASTER THAN THE OTHER LEG AND THEREAFTER LOWER BOTH OF SAID LEGS AT SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME SPEED WHEN A BILLET IS SUPPORTED BY THE LOOP. 